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Author Legarrea, S.; Velázquez, E.; Aguado, P.; Fereres, A.; Morales, I.; Rodríguez, D.; Del Estal, P.; Viñuela, E.
Title Effects of a photoselective greenhouse cover on the performance and host finding ability of Aphidius ervi in a lettuce crop Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication BioControl Abbreviated Journal (up) BioControl
Volume 59 Issue 3 Pages 265-278
Keywords aphidius ervi; macrosiphum euphorbiae; uv-absorbing net; parasitoid; sadie; spatial distribution; integrated pest-management; natural enemies; plastic films; mosaic-virus; insect pests; count data; pea aphid; uv; parasitoids; hymenoptera
Abstract In the search for a durable pest control management, biological control agents and photoselective covers are suitable candidates to be implemented in greenhouse crops. In this work, we studied the effects of a 50 mesh photoselective cover compared to a standard with similar characteristics but without UV-absorbing additives on the performance of Aphidius ervi Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a widely used parasitoid to control aphids in vegetable crops. Four field experiments were conducted in La Poveda Experimental Farm (Central Spain) where a lettuce crop was grown during the years 2008-2010. Lettuce plants were infested by Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and the parasitoid A. ervi was released and monitored throughout the crop cycle to evaluate any constraint in its performance produced by UV-absorbing nets. The ability of A. ervi to find and parasitize the host was not modified by the photoselective cover during the four seasons studied. Thus, we suggest that both strategies could be combined in the context of IPM in vegetable crops where this natural enemy is released.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1386-6141, 1573-8248 ISBN Medium Article
Area Expedition Conference
Notes CropM Approved no
Call Number MA @ admin @ Serial 4509
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Author Kässi, P.; Känkänen, H.; Niskanen, O.; Lehtonen, H.; Höglind, M.
Title Farm level approach to manage grass yield variation under climate change in Finland and north-western Russia Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Biosystems Engineering Abbreviated Journal (up) Biosystems Engineering
Volume 140 Issue Pages 11-22
Keywords silage grass; risk management; dairy farms; buffer storage; agricultural economics; grassland modelling; dairy-cows; impact; security; timothy; harvest; future; growth; norway; europe; time
Abstract Cattle feeding in Northern Europe is based on grass silage, but grass growth is highly dependent on weather conditions. If ensuring sufficient silage availability in every situation is prioritised, the lowest expected yield level determines the cultivated area in farmers’ decision-making. One way to manage the variation in grass yield is to increase grass production and silage storage capacity so that they exceed the annual consumption at the farm. The cost of risk management in the current and the projected future climate was calculated taking into account grassland yield and yield variability for three study areas under current and mid-21st century climate conditions. The dataset on simulated future grass yields used as input for the risk management calculations were taken from a previously published simulation study. Strategies investigated included using up to 60% more silage grass area than needed in a year with average grass yields, and storing silage for up to 6 months more than consumed in a year (buffer storage). According to the results, utilising an excess silage grass area of 20% and a silage buffer storage capacity of 6 months were the most economic ways of managing drought risk in both the baseline climate and the projected climate of 2046-2065. It was found that the silage yield risk due to drought is likely to decrease in all studied locations, but the drought risk and costs implied still remain significant. (C) 2015 IAgrE. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1537-5110 ISBN Medium Article
Area Expedition Conference
Notes TradeM Approved no
Call Number MA @ admin @ Serial 4671
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Author García-López, J.; Lorite, I.J.; García-Ruiz, R.; Domínguez, J.
Title Evaluation of three simulation approaches for assessing yield of rainfed sunflower in a Mediterranean environment for climate change impact modelling Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication Climatic Change Abbreviated Journal (up) Clim. Change
Volume 124 Issue 1-2 Pages 147-162
Keywords winter-wheat; water-stress; irrigation management; high-temperature; oil quality; oilcrop-sun; crop model; responses; variability; growth
Abstract The determination of the impact of climate change on crop yield at a regional scale requires the development of new modelling methodologies able to generate accurate yield estimates with reduced available data. In this study, different simulation approaches for assessing yield have been evaluated. In addition to two well-known models (AquaCrop and Stewart function), a methodological proposal considering a simplified approach using an empirical model (SOM) has been included in the analysis. This empirical model was calibrated using rainfed sunflower experimental field data from three sites located in Andalusia, southern Spain, and validated using two additional locations, providing very satisfactory results compared with the other models with higher data requirements. Thus, only requiring weather data (accumulated rainfall from the beginning of the season fixed on September 1st, and maximum temperature during flowering) the approach accurately described the temporal and spatial yield variability observed (RMSE = 391 kg ha(-1)). The satisfactory results for assessing yield of sunflower under semi-arid conditions obtained in this study demonstrate the utility of empirical approaches with few data requirements, providing an excellent decision tool for climate change impact analyses at a regional scale, where available data is very limited.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0165-0009 1573-1480 ISBN Medium Article
Area Expedition Conference
Notes CropM Approved no
Call Number MA @ admin @ Serial 4622
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Author Lorite, I.J.; García-Vila, M.; Santos, C.; Ruiz-Ramos, M.; Fereres, E.
Title AquaData and AquaGIS: Two computer utilities for temporal and spatial simulations of water-limited yield with AquaCrop Type Journal Article
Year 2013 Publication Computers and Electronics in Agriculture Abbreviated Journal (up) Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
Volume 96 Issue Pages 227-237
Keywords software tool; aquacrop; crop simulation model; geographic information system; spatial aggregation; fao crop model; irrigation management; iberian peninsula; southern spain; climate models; impacts; program; europe; system
Abstract The crop simulation model AquaCrop, recently developed by FAO can be used for a wide range of purposes. However, in its present form, its use over large areas or for applications that require a large number of simulations runs (e.g., long-term analysis), is not practical without developing software to facilitate such applications. Two tools for managing the inputs and outputs of AquaCrop, named AquaData and AquaGIS, have been developed for this purpose and are presented here. Both software utilities have been programmed in Delphi v. 5 and in addition, AquaGIS requires the Geographic Information System (GIS) programming tool MapObjects. These utilities allow the efficient management of input and output files, along with a GIS module to develop spatial analysis and effect spatial visualization of the results, facilitating knowledge dissemination. A sample of application of the utilities is given here, as an AquaCrop simulation analysis of impact of climate change on wheat yield in Southern Spain, which requires extensive input data preparation and output processing. The use of AquaCrop without the two utilities would have required approximately 1000 h of work, while the utilization of AquaData and AquaGIS reduced that time by more than 99%. Furthermore, the use of GIS, made it possible to perform a spatial analysis of the results, thus providing a new option to extend the use of the AquaCrop model to scales requiring spatial and temporal analyses. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0168-1699 ISBN Medium Article
Area Expedition Conference
Notes CropM Approved no
Call Number MA @ admin @ Serial 4609
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Author Hidy, D.; Barcza, Z.; Haszpra, L.; Churkina, G.; Pintér, K.; Nagy, Z.
Title Development of the Biome-BGC model for simulation of managed herbaceous ecosystems Type Journal Article
Year 2012 Publication Ecological Modelling Abbreviated Journal (up) Ecol. Model.
Volume 226 Issue Pages 99-119
Keywords biogeochemical model; biome-bgc; grassland; management; soil moisture; bayesian calibration; carbon flux model; regional applications; bayesian calibration; use efficiency; general-model; exchange; balance; climate; grassland; variability
Abstract Apart from measurements, numerical models are the most convenient instruments to analyze the carbon and water balance of terrestrial ecosystems and their interactions with changing environmental conditions. The process-based Biome-BGC model is widely used to simulate the storage and flux of water, carbon, and nitrogen within the vegetation, litter, and soil of unmanaged terrestrial ecosystems. Considering herbaceous vegetation related simulations with Biome-BGC, soil moisture and growing season control on ecosystem functioning is inaccurate due to the simple soil hydrology and plant phenology representation within the model. Consequently, Biome-BGC has limited applicability in herbaceous ecosystems because (1) they are usually managed; (2) they are sensitive to soil processes, most of all hydrology; and (3) their carbon balance is closely connected with the growing season length. Our aim was to improve the applicability of Biome-BGC for managed herbaceous ecosystems by implementing several new modules, including management. A new index (heatsum growing season index) was defined to accurately estimate the first and the final days of the growing season. Instead of a simple bucket soil sub-model, a multilayer soil sub-model was implemented, which can handle the processes of runoff, diffusion and percolation. A new module was implemented to simulate the ecophysiological effect of drought stress on plant mortality. Mowing and grazing modules were integrated in order to quantify the functioning of managed ecosystems. After modifications, the Biome-BGC model was calibrated and validated using eddy covariance-based measurement data collected in Hungarian managed grassland ecosystems. Model calibration was performed based on the Bayes theorem. As a result of these developments and calibration, the performance of the model was substantially improved. Comparison with measurement-based estimate showed that the start and the end of the growing season are now predicted with an average accuracy of 5 and 4 days instead of 46 and 85 days as in the original model. Regarding the different sites and modeled fluxes (gross primary production, total ecosystem respiration, evapotranspiration), relative errors were between 18-60% using the original model and 10-18% using the developed model; squares of the correlation coefficients were between 0.02-0.49 using the original model and 0.50-0.81 using the developed model. (c) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0304-3800 ISBN Medium Article
Area Expedition Conference
Notes LiveM Approved no
Call Number MA @ admin @ Serial 4472
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